While there were no spurs at Munthe's autumn/winter '24 collection, the show was a fashion-savvy rodeo
Earlier this year, Pharrell Williams’ Western-inspired menswear collection for Louis Vuitton climbed the leaderboard as one of the most-watched shows. Lace shirts were found embroidered lasso-throwing cowboys, and fringed leather chaps (perhaps the first for the French house) were accessorised with bolos and spurs — in a very literal cowboy translation.
In Denmark, however, a slightly different rancher appeared on the runway. More specifically, Munthe’s take on a Copenhagen Cowgirl. “All my life, I have been obsessed with horses, ever since I was three or four,” says namesake founder Naja Munthe. These stable-bound memories and sensations – “the smell of the hay and the fields and being outside,” as Munthe describes it – lay the foundation for the collection. “But it was more that, the feeling of it. It is still fashion and not costumes, so it has to be wearable.”
Quilting and embossing of the Munthe logo onto the leather is a recent low-key addition to the brand’s core design codes, seen on handbags, boots and outerwear with saddle-stitched details. Interwoven with the darned leather and denim, there was a romantic edge to the looks: lace detailing and delicate dresses with puffed mutton sleeves. A sense of tongue-in-cheek fun could also be could also be found on the runway, mainly in the blown-up black and white cow print seen on sequinned skirts and mini dresses, and a baby pink Moto jacket. Shearling outerwear and knitwear was kept oversized and easy, shrugged on effortlessly. Amongst it all, the one piece we've bookmarked to go straight into our weekly wardrobe rotation? A fringe leather miniskirt, leisurely styled by the designer with a white roll-neck sweater.
Denim has become a central focus for the brand, developing into a distinct part of the Munthe woman’s wardrobe. “I like to play around with shapes and the weight of the material,” says Munthe. “I am very proud that we’ve been able to make a mark on this category when we’re not a denim brand.” But Munthe’s denim is playful. Among the more basic silhouettes in the upcoming collection, we find distressed patches, side seams adorned with sparkling fringe and a scattering of embellishments on a denim mini skirt. Details that – when styled appropriately – sees the Wild Wild West enter the cobbled streets of Copenhagen. An urban Cowgirl whose main steed is a well-used bicycle.
Munthe - AW24
